Tokyo Comic Con 2025: December 5–7 at Makuhari Messe — First Wave of Celebrity Guests Announced, Including Elijah Wood and Sean Astin

With excitement from Osaka Comic Con during Golden Week still fresh, Tokyo Comic Con 2025 has been announced for three days from Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7, 2025 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The 2024 edition drew a total of 74,290 visitors, and this major pop-culture event—closely watched by MICE professionals worldwide—returns this year with upgrades. The first wave of celebrity guests has also been revealed, including Elijah Wood and Sean Astin from The Lord of the Rings.

(Hero image: taken by our editorial team at Osaka Comic Con 2025.)
Updated August 8, 2025.

©2025 Tokyo comic con All rights reserved.

Tokyo Comic Con 2025: In December, Makuhari Messe Becomes a Pop-Culture Hub

Tokyo Comic Con is the Japan edition of the “Comic Con” brand founded by Stan Lee and Steve Wozniak. The event brings together multifaceted content across Halls 1–6 at Makuhari Messe, including meet-and-greets with Hollywood stars, real movie props on display, cosplay areas, and Artist Alley.

2024 Recap: 13 Celebrity Guests Energized the Show

At Tokyo Comic Con 2024, held in December 2024, thirteen celebrity guests—including Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, Ben McKenzie, Christopher Lloyd, Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ansel Elgort, and Tomohisa Yamashita—brought major excitement to the venue.

---

©2025 Tokyo comic con All rights reserved.

Tokyo Comic Con 2025: First Wave of Visiting Celebrities Announced — Elijah Wood and Sean Astin Confirmed (Updated August 8)

With less than six months to go until the event, the first wave of visiting celebrities has been announced.

Elijah Wood as Frodo and Sean Astin as Sam will appear together

As the memorable first announcement, three guests have been confirmed: Elijah Wood, known for starring in The Lord of the Rings, his co-star Sean Astin from the same series, and comics icon Jim Lee.

Elijah Wood began his career as a child actor and appeared in hit films such as Deep Impact and The Faculty (released in Japan as Parasite). He went on to gain international acclaim for playing Frodo Baggins in the global hit series The Lord of the Rings. In recent years he has also appeared in notable titles including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Sin City. Wood participated in Tokyo Comic Con in 2020 when it was held online, and this will be his first in-person appearance at the event.

Sean Astin rose to popularity playing Mikey in the beloved 1980s adventure film The Goonies. In The Lord of the Rings series he portrayed Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s loyal friend, winning hearts among fans worldwide. More recently, he appeared as Bob Newby in Season 2 of the hit drama series Stranger Things, bringing in a new audience. As someone who loves both Mikey and Sam, this writer finds this visit especially exciting.

In Artist Alley—the popular area where comics and animation artists interact with fans—Jim Lee, one of the leading artists in American comics and currently President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of DC Comics, has also been confirmed to participate.

Tickets are now on sale

Various tickets for Tokyo Comic Con 2025 are now on sale. The 3-Day Pass is JPY 9,900 (tax included), and the Advance 1-Day Admission (General) is JPY 5,500 (tax included). Additional options include tickets for U-18 (age 18 and under) and U-15 (age 15 and under), as well as tickets for cosplay participants. Tickets can be purchased via Ticket Pia, the Hollywood Collectors Convention website, and the official Tokyo Comic Con website. If you plan to attend for two or more days, the 3-Day Pass offers good value; even for a single day, the advance ticket is the better deal.

Event Overview

Schedule and Venue

Name: Tokyo Comic Convention 2025 (Tokyo Comic Con 2025)
Dates / Hours:
December 5 (Fri), 2025, 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
December 6 (Sat), 2025, 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
December 7 (Sun), 2025, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (subject to change)
Venue: Makuhari Messe
Organizer: Tokyo Comic Convention, Inc.; Tokyo Comic Convention Executive Committee

Official Website https://tokyocomiccon.jp/en/

Event Contents

• Latest announcements and information on films and comics from Japan and overseas
• Corporate booths (sales of limited and pre-release products, merchandise displays, etc.)
• Exhibits of screen-used movie props and rare items
• Interactive content leveraging the latest technologies
• Interaction with celebrity actors from overseas
• Live shows and performances on stage
• Interaction with cosplayers and cosplay contests
• Exhibition and sale of works by manga artists and illustrators (“Artist Alley”)